Red Sox acquire closer Andrew Bailey from A’s

Thursday

The former American League rookie of the year recorded 75 saves during his career with Oakland.

The acquisition of Andrew Bailey by the Red Sox didn’t just solve one problem; it might have solved several.

Bailey, the third-year closer who was named American League Rookie of the Year off his 26-save 2009 season and who has 75 saves, a 2.07 ERA an a 0.95 WHIP, can do the job providing he’s healthy – all indications are that he is – but he’s enabled the Red Sox to go easy on the pocketbook while possibly beefing up their entire pitching rotation.

With Bailey on the back end of the pitching roster, and the other newly acquired reliever, Mark Melancon, as his eighth-inning guy, the starting rotation might also have been fortified.

Now, Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine will be able to work Daniel Bard into a starting role if all goes according to plan. Alfredo Aceves will join him. The beauty of that, as far as general manager Ben Cherington is concerned, is that the Sox can cool their heels a bit in their pursuit of another starting pitcher.

“I think that the starters that we’ve considered and talked about, and in some cases pursued, are a pretty broad range of pitching options,” Cherington said. “We’ve just felt, to this point, that the deals that we liked the best on the trade front were the Melancon deal and now this deal.”

One reason for the Sox to be happy with the deals: Melancon made $421,000 last season and Bailey just $465,000. They won’t be making a whole lot more next season. Starting pitching would be considerably more expensive.

Bailey and outfielder Ryan Sweeney, a defensive specialist, were acquired from the A’s for outfielder Josh Reddick and minor leaguers Raul Alcantara and Miles Head.

“I do think our situation has been one where we can afford to be a little bit patient in the starting pitching market because of what we have at the front of the rotation,” Cherington said. “If we can find ways to build depth in the rotation, we will.

“We don’t feel like we’re forced into doing that with what we have at the front of the rotation, and with Bard and Aceves both coming to camp as starters and giving us options there, along with Andrew Miller and (Felix) Doubront and others who will be in camp showcasing their abilities as starters.”

This is all assuming, of course, that Bailey comes in as advertised – and that he remains healthy.

Bailey underwent Tommy John surgery five years ago and has suffered elbow, back and knee problems since. None has been deemed especially serious except that he was forced to miss most of the first two months of last season when he suffered an elbow strain in spring training, having “perhaps ramped up too quickly and had a little bit of a setback and appeared to be some scar tissue breakup and some minor soft tissue injury,” according to the GM.

“This past spring training he was able to recover from that, get back to pitching and perform well. His stuff and his performance were solid down the stretch and he was asymptomatic for the rest of the season after he came back. We are very confident he’ll come into camp ready to go and ready to help our team in 2012.”

Bailey also dodged a bullet when he was hit on the head by a line drive during batting practice last Sept. 12. He was back on the mound three days later.

“I’m feeling good, man,” said the affable Connecticut resident. “This is the first time I’ve been healthy and not having to rehab anything. I’ve been able to get after it from Day One.”

Bailey, who blew his first career save opportunity – against the Red Sox – says that pitching in the A.L. East only means that he’ll be throwing to the same A.L. batters he’s always faced, although he admits that coming in from the Red Sox bullpen is something “you can’t put into words.”

He’s well acquainted with his new manager, as well. Valentine has emceed charity events that Bailey and former teammate Craig Breslow have hosted.

Mainly, he feels that if he’s himself, this is a win-win situation.

“The only thing I can work on is staying healthy and sticking to my guns and being who I am,” he said.

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